NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 2985, 12 January 1926, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

While a Wanganui business man was travelling in the train he entered into conversation with a lady, who looked about 50 years of age. She informed him that she had been

married twice, and had two families of 21, making 42 in all, and they were all alive and doing well 1 — Herald.

A few days after a farmer had placed his two children in a school, a book canvasser called on him and said: “Now that your children go to school, you ought to buy then; an encyclopaedia.” “Buy them an encyclopaedia 1 ? Hanged if I do,” was his reply. “Let them tvalk, like

I did.” To most settlers gorse is looked upon as more or less of a curse. But according to an application made by a ratepayer to the Waimea County Council (Nelson) for permission to plant the noxious weed on certain third class land, three sheep to the acre can be grown ojf

this class of feed. A young lady motorist from Nukuhou, described by a police constable as “the terror of the Waimana Gorge,” was convicted at Whakatane for dangerous speeding. The evidence disclosed that she had driven into Whakatane at 51 miles an hour. The Magistrate impos-

ed a line of £3, with £l3 18s costs, one witness coming from Wlmngarei.

For the ten days previous to Thursday last (New Year’s Eve), l(j() motor ears were landed at Picton by the Union Steam Ship Company (says the Marlborough Press). The great majority of these are cn route to the Exhibition at Dunedin, and may expected to return this way either by the East or West Coast roads. Plums, nectarines and peaches are.practically a total failure in the Uolorua district this season, probably through the severity of-the spring in extremes of weather and wind. However, the trees appear to be appreciating the rest, for such beautifully green foliage has not been seen on them for years. Smiling are the faces of the Maoris when potatoes are mentioned, and they will tell you that the crop will probably be one of the best for many season, and their satisfaction is increased by the fact that there is little or no blight' (says an exchange). Ladies and children travelling in smoking carriages have been much in evidence during the holidays (says the Auckland “Star”). An instance happened on Thursday last. When the Thames express started it was observed that the second-class smoker was threeparts full of women and children. One mother had her twin babies occupying the seat next to her. When asked why she preferred to travel in the smoker, a reply was given that it was much healthier to do so. A man who had been searching in vain for a seat was heard to remark, “A chap should organise a pipe-smoking gang, and get in there, close the windows, and smoke the women out.” Some ten minutes before the train left there weie seats in non-smoking compartments, but the smokers were the first cars to be filled. A recent New York message stated that Theosophists all over the world believe the reincarnation of Jesus will occur at Adyr, near Madras, in India. It is promised that the Christ will be identified as J. Krisluiamlirta, aged 30, who recently sailed to India from New York. He is prominent in Theosophical circles for his writings, which purport to bring Divine messages. According to Theosophists, the auit of divinity will descent upon hin within five months. . Krishnamurta, who is expected to become the Messiah, receives a salary cl' £IOOO a year from Theosophists. “Bishop Leadbeater, with fifty believers, left Sydney by the Oronsay on November 14 for Adyr, where they expect the Messiah to be revealed. It is distinctly stated that no miracles will take place. A resourceful Moariland youth who recently visited his English relatives was asked if he could speak Maori, and not wishing to disappoint the relatives, replied that his one accomplishment in that language was a couple of verses of “God Save the King.” As his knowledge of Maori was nil, he hastily concocted a couple of verses entirely of places and names, and these he sang with tremendous success, writes a correspondent in the Bulletin. So popular did the item become that the vicar requested him to give it at a village concert, and numerous admirers begged him to write the words down so that they might learn them also. During his triumphal career he met only one Maorilander, and as she confessed she knew no Maori, his success continued; and doubtless in an English village there are still folk i singing the National Anthem in Maori.